Climate Ready Boston created new
maps that have up-do-date climate information and projections that building owners can use to better understand their vulnerabilities from flooding and extreme heat.

You can locate your hotel on the map and determine, for example, whether it will be vulnerable now, in the 2030's, 2050's and 2070's to flooding from typical high tides, a once-in-a-decade rainstorm or a once-in-a-century rainstorm.

The maps also helps one understand each neighborhood's social vulnerabilities to storms and heat waves.

The 27-story Wynn Boston Harbor casino is being built along the Mystic River in Everett, which is vulnerable to storm surges and sea level rise. To protect itself, Wynn is creating a descending coastal bank and a salt marsh. The building itself will be elevated above the 500-year flood mark.

The heating, air conditioning and electrical utilities will be placed even higher up--on the third floor, where floods won't reach.

During power outages, Wynn will be able to generate most of its electricity from their, "rooftop solar, generators and other sources."

Other waterfront building owners are using similar strategies to protect their properties from rising seas.

Guests with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) have allergy-like reactions, often extreme, to many different pollutants and allergens. Twelve percent of the population has MCS, and 30% is sensitive to fragrances. Reducing the risk for guests with MCS improves indoor air quality for everyone.

The author recommends that hotels use fragrance-free products for cleaning, laundry and toiletries; and avoid air fresheners and room deodorizers. He noted many other products to avoid, too.

Hotels might also locate MCS guests away from pools and parking lots, deploy in-room air filters, use showerheads that filter out chlorine and minimize pesticide use by practicing pest prevention techniques.

Presentations at BGT meetings about safely hosting MCS guests are here and here.